Ronnie Polaneczky

STAFF COLUMNIST

Ronnie Polaneczky, a journalist for 30 years, is a Metro columnist at the Daily News, where she has won numerous journalism awards for listening to the city she loves and telling its stories in ways that get to the heart of who we are. She is the 2015 winner of the Eugene C. Pulliam Journalism Fellowship for her coverage of elderly parents who are still responsible for the care of their intellectually disabled, aging children. You can watch her TEDxPhiladelphia Talk, "The Power of Deliberate Listening," at: https://youtu.be/A343tlP5iUA

Denizens of New York's East Village have been in a tizzy - titsy? - the last week or so over the cute young woman who's been spotted walking the streets topless. On her way back from yoga, breezing past Whole Foods, hanging out in Union Square Park - there she is: carrying a shoulder bag, wearing sunglasses, checking her phone, just like like anyone else heading out to Starbucks. Except that she's preceded by her bouncing little friends.

Who is she? What's she up to? And where the hell is her shirt?

She's Moira Johnston, a 29-year-old former Philly girl who's baring her boobs to promote awareness that New York has a state law, on the books since 1992, that allows women to swing free and easy anywhere that men are allowed to.

Johnston's mission apparently started when she execised her legal right to move uncovered and untethered from the waist up while in yoga class, as were the male students downward dogging alongside her. Fellow class members protested, so the teacher declared that all students must wear tops.

Way to harsh the namaste!

So Johnston doffed her top to make a point and has been making her point ever since. By the looks of this video (scroll down on this linked story and click), she's having fun doing it. I just hope she dabs some sunscreen on her tender parts. The weekend's gonna be a scorcher....